Leaving The Defence Forces

“Kirsty is an expert in the field of aviation employment coaching. She is well connected and has a deep insight into the workings of the industry. As a coach she is patient and encouraging. After my time spent with Kirsty the interview process became much less daunting. I went into my interview confident that I had an good answer for any question that might arise. I was given the nod for my dream job.” – Ex ADF Fast Jet Instructor transitioned to Commercial Airline. Read Real Life Case Study

Transitioning from the ADF to a Civilian Career

We often hear from Defence Force personnel that transitioning into a civilian role can be quite daunting. For starters, often people don’t seem to realise that they have a myriad of transferable skills learned in Australia’s largest company. You might say the ADF isn’t a company, but it is. It has managers, support staff and entry level staff. It has budgets, runs projects, it is accountable, creates a leadership mentality and a teamwork fabric. All of which are incredibly valuable in the commercial world.

You do have to build the relationship between your experience and the commercial world, and that starts with your resume and cover letter. Using military language or acronyms won’t work. The person reading these documents is trying to relate to you and understand how your experience can relate to their role. They probably have never been in the military, so you will have to make the connections for them.

Exactly the same applies in the actual job interview. Familiarise and prepare yourself with corporate terms and use corporate terms to explain certain types of experience as required. Give plain-English examples of special achievements. For example: If you have participated in disaster relief projects as part of the Defence Force you can highlight many skills in a conversational way with the interviewer. Talk in this context about:

Your (potential) leadership capabilities

Ability to adapt and being highly flexible

Give specific examples of teamwork

Demonstrate your ability to “think outside the box”

Show your ability to train colleagues in new skills

Demonstrate your IT skills/computer knowledge

Behavioural Interview Technique

The behavioural interview is a crucial component of identifying the best candidate. An employer will know within your first 2 answers whether you have prepared in the correct interview format for the panel interview. Know the technique for answering behavioural questions and prepare in advance. You simply can’t fly by the seat of your pants on the day. Prepare your career plan, know your strengths and weaknesses and have actual examples ready.

Develop an Exit Strategy

It may take months or even years to gain the role you want. For example: in our experience most candidates take between 2 and 3 applications to gain entry into the Fire Services or any Emergency Service. Be prepared, have a plan B and think about how to answer the difficult questions.